Started with protests in Daraa in 2011, the Syrian conflict rapidly turned into a war with a number of foreign powers supporting various militant groups (including al-Qaeda-linked) against the government of Bashar al-Assad. Since then, the country has been a point of instability in the Middle East.Russia began a military intervention in Syria in 2015 after an official request by the Syrian government for military help against militant groups.This allowed the Syrian government to survive and to regain initiative in a battle against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), ISIS and other militant groups.

On February 9, ISIS fighters attacked positions of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies in the southeastern Idlib countryside. Syrian opposition sources reported that ISIS fighters had captured the villages of Umm Khalakil, Luwaybidah and Musharifah.

Between 300 and 400 fighters of ISIS armed with battle tanks, armored vehicles and ATGMs participated in the attack on HTS in southeastern Idlib, according to opposition activists. The numbers are likely overestimated.

Click to see the full-size map

ISIS launched a similar attack against HTS in the northeastern Hama countryside on October 9, 2017. Back then, opposition activists also claimed that the SAA had opened a route for ISIS. However, HTS acknowledged later that ISIS fighters had sneaked in as civilians.

From its side, Syrian pro-government sources said that the besieged ISIS fighters in the northeastern Hama countryside pocket were able to breakthrough the SAA defense lines in the western side of the pocket. According to the sources, the SAA didn’t reinforce its western and eastern flanks before its final push against the besieged ISIS fighters in the pocket. This led to the current situation.

ISIS fighters will likely be able to hold into the positions they captured in the southeastern Idlib countryside and maybe even expand their control there in the upcoming days.

Let them kill each other, it will be easier to clean up the mess later.

Rob

But it hurts Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan. LOL.

You can call me Al

Boo Hoo (enough ?) – Right now let them kill each other.

Antonovs

Parasites are eating each other

PZIVJ

Was expecting this! LOL

Rüdiger Preiss

So have I … it came a lot sooner than I thought though!

Rob

Trump, Netanyahu, Erdogan and Salman should stop segregating nations and dividing countries in the world. This is absolutely 100% war crimes. They should not covet to the thrones.
————————————————————————————————————————————–

Rob

This is the last term of Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan because they have slaughtered so many civilians and security forces in the Middle East that I don’t think so that in the next election any body gonna cast vote to these butchers. They should be accountable for their war crimes that they have committed in Afghanistan and in the Middle East countries.
————————————————————————————————————————————–

as

For USA i rest my case. USA wouldn’t be able to get any counter policy in it’s agressive foreign policies anytime soon regardless who they president or any elect position in it’s administration.
For Israel well… they descent into full Neo Nazis like Ukraine and by the looks of it Nuttyyeeho would be keeping most of his political power even after his term ends despite his corruption (he aces his calling. A parasite is parasitizing a parasites)
For Turkey now this is where it’s paths branches. Erdogan either have to commit fully into Russian axis which also meaning full demonization plus sanctions further terrorists will be unleashed on his country or he can go back to try desperately licking ass, boots so he won’t get sent into a slaughterhouse for getting out of the line before get replaced with acceptable puppets.

Rob

Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan should stop segregating Syrian nation. This is absolutely 100% war crime. They should not covet to the Syrian land and Syrian oil and gas fields.
————————————————————————————————————————————–

antoun

diabolic plan at damas comme the 9 october ahaha!!

Rob

Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan should stop diminishing Syrian national government control on Syrian land.

Rob

Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan should stop pushing Syrian nation and their allied security forces out of their land. This is absolutely 100% war crime. They should not covet to the Syrian land and Syrian oil and gas fields.
————————————————————————————————————————————–

Ivanus59

Alright but can you please not clutter the comment area by repeating your comments for an infinite amount of time? Gonna report you for spam, seriously…

Ivanus59

Hahaha, cool. If they keep this up ISIS will eventually crawl onto Syrian-Turkish border and then get evacuated into Turkland for their promised land. :}

PZIVJ

Yes, it’s a slow but steady rat migration headed NW :)

Rob

Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan should not covet to the Syrian land and Syrian oil and gas fields. They should move out their asses from whole Syrian land and let Syrian national government to bring peace and stability to their own land.
————————————————————————————————————————————–

Rob

I have listened the speeches and conferences of US politicians and of Moscow politicians. I have founded a big difference in both. The Moscow politicians are polite and well mannered and on the other side the US politicians oh mama mia. They are completely sick.
————————————————————————————————————————————–

Hrky75

It looks like some of the rats managed to break through the pocket and reenter “green” Idlib. Now news If SAA lost any important positions?

Ivanus59

Saraqib just got a bit closer LOOL.

Athassino

SAA did the same thing when they capture 400-500 isis members in Deir-ez-zor. If u want to fight for your life do it with other terrorists. Nice strategy.

Rüdiger Preiss

Hahaha how can ISIS terrorists sneak in as civilians :D!? Surely you can smell those filthy bastards from a mile away!

jerry hamilton

America will try and stop this infighting.
They want their terrorists killing people they want dead.

Bob

Technically true – but on ground this is Saudi vs Qatar sponsored Sunni radicals in an ever diminishing and desperate space.

Eskandar Black

Those ISIS guys just settled in, now they have to move again.

jason sixx

Thought it was too fast. Theyre just constantly relocating from dez to sukhnah to qaryatayn to akerbat pocket then rahjan pocket then the suruj pocket and now further west. We soon see isis in idlib city lol

antoun

yes! its rigth!!! damas is diabolic!!!

Terra Cotta Woolpuller

They have no lack of loyal support among the factions as HTS there joined them and number over 2000 despite losing a couple hundred in the process, need something like 15-20k to surround 1000. Hard to do when your still clearing mines and providing protection and patrols searching areas, why they ran so fast. They had coordinated intel and communication very definitely a NATO run operation.

SVEN 🇸🇾

Good job ISIS! 😂😂😂

Mountains

It’s official the map used by Syria.liveuamap is fake and fabricated. SAA claimed few days ago they cleaned out this pocket and all of sudden they still hold large chunk of land and then have even attempted to enter rebel held areas? This is huge contradiction by any strandard and it seems like ISIS popped up after being finished as claimed by SAA out of thin air. Hokus pokus Magic?

It just dosen’t make sense whatsoever for any intelligent individual. They ousted themselves and got exposed. It’s like kindergarten coloring contest on that map and nothing really factual

gold37

That site is all wrong, even the exact location of towns, villages are manipulated.

Gregory Louis

So where is your map that’s completely accurate to the situation on the ground then?

Fernando Silva

The problem just changed places

BMWA1

Or uniforms.

Rob

With out any doubt Trump, Netanyahu and Erdogan forces in Syria are terrorists. Their war is for the land of oil and gas fields. Therefore, Syrian villagers, and tribes should start gorilla war against these terrorists. Now Syrian nation have chance to fight back to kick out US soldiers that want to take the land of oil and gas fields, otherwise the Syrian nation will loose this chance like Palestinians. They should fight back to survive but in organize manner like Afghani Taliban that each day killing seven US soldiers.
—————————————————————————————————————————————

bcbingram

Taliban can hide successfully,large groups of Syrian patriots would be blown to bits.

Rob

Syrian nation is not lonely but they are a member of a team of Russia, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, China, Korea, Pakistan and they will win. Washington fought 30 years in Afghanistan and finally they lost because that is a country surrounded by a group of a team of very good players. Afghanistan have crippled the US economy but they have not realized yet.

gold37

Haha, rules of the game stays the same. Said this about a month ago.

Xanatos

Isis fighters disguised themselves as civilians. The SAA just evacuated some civilians to idlib. Obviously, the SAA knew who they were and allowed them to carry weapons with them.

Interesting the original 900 force is now around 400. It will probably grow again.

Wolfgang Wolf

planned escape) let the fuckers fight each other

SnowCatzor

Looks like ISIS are trying to find a new home (again). They need not worry, their buddies in HTS will gift them some land in Idlib again.

This “breakthrough defense lines” could never happen! I don’t believe this story. Is it really an ISIS cell or just local sunni tribes, who cooperate with the SAA? It looks like they are fighting HTS and later hand over the territory to the SAA.

Terra Cotta Woolpuller

This is very easy but the cost is high and you need coordinating forces and intel , they bolted while many were clearing on mine sweep operations. The manpower is unbelievable jut to trap 1000 and still you will have a break through. They lost 80 alone in one area and still lost a dozens more, these tactics are old and nothing new, history has evidence which contradicts your opinion. The factions within the FSA/TFSA/HTS/AAS/TIP etc. are filled with ISIS loyalists, remember there are only one group Muslim brotherhood but 2 factions Al Qaeda and ISIS not hard to see the rift and split.

You can call me Al

The Islamic State passed through government-held areas and captured Umm al-Khalakhil, Mushayrifah and Luwaybidah from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [via @VivaRevolt]

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:23 P.M.) – Hundreds of Islamic State fighters have burst into rebel-held areas of Idlib province after the Syrian Arab Army, heavily focused on securing the terrorist group’s last stronghold in Hama, left its western flank exposed to a desperate break-out assault by jihadist militants.

On Friday morning, hundreds of ISIS militants trapped in the stronghold town of Suruj in Hama province conducted a sudden blitz assault west of the town.

Concentrating enough forces, taking advantage of having total surprise and fighting desperately to avoid annihilation, ISIS managed to blitz its way through over a dozen government-held villages, reaching rebel lines in southeast Idlib.

Although surprised by the attack against its western flank, the Syrian Army completed its original objective of seizing Suruj and the last villages near the fortress town after ISIS totally abandoned the area in its all-out push towards rebel-held Idlib.

According to EMN News, claiming to quote an inside ISIS source, the break-out battle between the terrorist group and the Syrian Army was ‘brutal,’ resulting in the deaths of dozens of troops

SOURCE; ALMASDAR

Terra Cotta Woolpuller

The death of a few hundred or more dead ISIS but not as so among the SAA as it was ambushes, as ISIS joined with forces from HTS/FSA loyal to ISIS over 1000+ . Learn not to quote old news s this was expected as the SAA had too many tasks at hand to fulfill soon the area will be clear of Inghimasi and mines.

You can call me Al

I am not sure:

The Islamic State passed through government-held areas and captured Umm al-Khalakhil, Mushayrifah and Luwaybidah from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [via @VivaRevolt]

Well you just have to understand there are no trench lines or what not and not every area is covered other than fire control. Can anyone get through very likely with maps and UAV spotters watching your approach guiding you thru safe areas.

They took the area rather fast and to maintain protection for sweeps and search missions, would make the lines thinner, ISIS lost hundreds in it’s bid for freedom. What is surprising is the amount of coordination needed to get to the west flank in avoiding patrols and positions and the timed attacks.